Super Mario!!!!

by RevisIsland&Alcrotraz on Jan 25, 2012 9:17 PM EST

We all know that the secret to beating the Patriots is to hit Tom Brady constantly throughout the game. When Rex first got here this was something we were able to do because we could blitz the crap out of him, put Revis on Moss and just cover everywhere else. But unfortunately for the Jets the Patriots shipped Moss to the Vikings for a 4th rd pick and that day the Offensive philosophy in NE was changed. Its more short passes letting receivers run after the catch, all things that beat Blitzing. We need someone that can line up every down and rush the passer as well as play the run. We can't have guys like Aaron Maybin going out there because Belichick is not too proud to win and take what you give him. What I mean by that is its 3rd and 8, The Pats have Hernandez, Gronk, Welker, Branch, and Woodhead in the huddle, so they must be throwing it so we send in our nickel package, Aaron Maybin comes in to play DE, Pouha and Devito are out of the game. Bart Scott has been standing on the sideline the whole game already anyway and now Eric Smith comes in to play LB, etc. Well now Brady gets to the Line sees the personnel and the front, checks to a run and now its first down. Now on that same note, they come out in the same personnel, we leave the base defense out there and Brady shreds us going no-Huddle and next thing we know the score is 45-3, or something like that. We need guys on this defense that play the run well and play the pass well regardless of position. One position that I think is the most important at this stage is OLB (some would argue Safety and I can't blame you for it). Mario Williams of the Houston Texans is a FA and I think he is someone we need to target.

Now someone mentioned him in another post recently and immediately dismissed him as too expensive, I beg to differ. Calvin Pace who after signed a 6 yr 42 million dollar contract and has never had more than 8 sacks in the his four seasons with the team is too expensive, Bart Scott who signed a 6 yr 48 million dollar deal and only plays 1st and 2nd down and doesn't play at all when we play the Pats twice a year is too expensive (Plus I don't know about anyone else but I'm excited to see what Josh Mauga could do as a starter) , Wayne Hunter and Eric Smith, neither of whom I care what their contracts are worth are too expensive, I hope you're beginning to get my point. A guy like this is not too expensive, not in a passing league, especially not in a division where we play arguably the best QB (EVER!!!!!), twice a year. I find it hard to believe that a pass rusher who has already proven himself in this league could be too expensive for Rex Ryan and Mikey T. Now theres the argument of the Franchise tag, but I read today that they already paid him 18 million last year and that the tag would pay him 22.9 million this year and that the Texans are possibly not willing to do that. Now yes I know nothing is guaranteed and no one knows for sure whether he'll get the tag or not but all I'm saying is that if he's available we need to make a valiant effort to sign him.

Now after looking at some of the recent contracts given to 3-4 OLB (Tamba Hali, Lamarr Woodley, and Terrell Suggs) I think a 5-6 yr deal worth between 58-66 million dollars would be fair for both sides. Again these are just my numbers that are based off previous contracts but we never know someone could come out and pay him a 7 yr 100 million dollar deal (*cough* Redskins *cough*). I think this would give us tremendous flexibility going into the draft because we could now get a WR, RT, or a S(hope not b/c that means we reached for Barron) in the first round and not feel like we're missing out on a pass rusher. We could even double dip and get a nice bookend like Upshaw or Mercilus. These are just my thoughts let me know what you guys think.

Poll

Should we make an effort to sign Mario Williams?

Hell Yeah!! Brady can't throw the ball laying flat on his back.

80 votes

I mean sure but I'd prefer to target other positions in FA.

8 votes

No. Not worth spending that type of money when we could just draft a guy. (Upshaw, Mercilus, Ingram, etc...)

31 votes

119 votes | Poll has closed

Tweet Comment 23 comments | 0 recs |

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Comments

He's probably too expensive for us right now

Because we don’t have much cap space.

by CervezaVerde on Jan 25, 2012 9:25 PM EST reply actions

Hell yeah we should make a run at him.

by Crackback on Jan 25, 2012 9:26 PM EST reply actions

Yeah we should go after him... But he is pricey

Let's Make sure we play like the f***in NEW YORK JETS
and not some f***in slapd**k team!

by jets4life24 on Jan 25, 2012 10:40 PM EST via mobile reply actions

He would be awesome in Gang Green...

But he will want too much money…

by Down Since '86 on Jan 25, 2012 11:15 PM EST reply actions

How much will he want?

by Crackback on Jan 25, 2012 11:29 PM EST up reply actions

I'm sure he chaises considers himself one of the top pass rushers in the league

I’m guessing $8-12 million. Not sure what the highest average salary would be for DEs

Let's Make sure we play like the f***in NEW YORK JETS
and not some f***in slapd**k team!

by jets4life24 on Jan 26, 2012 12:19 AM EST via mobile up reply actions

Chaises?? Stupid phone...

Let's Make sure we play like the f***in NEW YORK JETS
and not some f***in slapd**k team!

by jets4life24 on Jan 26, 2012 12:19 AM EST via mobile up reply actions

NO

It’s ludicrous. There’s no way the Texans are gonna let him leave and he would cost too much even if they did. This isn’t Madden. Please can we stop with the crazy, unrealistic ideas?

A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy followed by a dictatorship. The average age of the world’s greatest civilizations has been 200 years." Alexander Tyler

by joeklecko on Jan 26, 2012 12:40 AM EST reply actions

Why is it so unrealistic? As an OLB, he has a tag number of about 8m. The Jets already have 7m in cap space, I believe. Cut Smith and Hunter to clear another 5m and we can easily offer 10m to Williams.

Its not crazy or unrealistic. And why would Houston even be a major player when they were tops in the league without him? Why would they pay him top dollar when they don’t need him?

by Crackback on Jan 26, 2012 12:57 AM EST up reply actions

They DO Need Him

He’s been a great player for them. He’s probably a fan favorite and their fan base would kill them for allowing him to go elsewhere.

The last time I looked, the Texans aren’t in the SB, so to say they don’t need him is absurd.

It’s also ridiculous from the Jets’ perspective. The team isn’t one player away from being a SB team. They have glaring needs at RT and S. They also need a veteran backup QB. Those need to be addressed before bringing in a big ticket, big name player at another position, even though that position is also a glaring need. Plain and simple, they have too many needs to shoot their wad on one player. They may need 3, if not 4 new safeties. At a minimum, they need 2. The draft isn’t stacked with great S prospects. The best place for the Jets to shore up the S position is in FA, and none of the players who can step in and be an upgrade will be cheap.

IMO that’s a typical, stupid Tanny-type move. It’s the “look at me” big splash kind of move, and not the smartest or best move for the whole team. The draft is deep in OLB prospects. That’s where they should address the OLB position, not FA.

by joeklecko on Jan 26, 2012 1:33 AM EST up reply actions

The Texans had the no. 2 defense this year.

And all their other linebackers are STUDS. They don’t need him. Schaub’s injury screwed their season over. If we get Williams I would agree that it would give us more flexibility in the draft where we could pick up an OLB in the first 2 rounds and be totally set for the future. I say pursue without a doubt.

by Jerrad p on Jan 26, 2012 1:54 AM EST up reply actions

If fan bases could kill their teams for making stupid personnel decisions, the Jets would’ve been gone a long time ago. However, in this case I like the idea. The argument that it’s too much invested in one player doesn’t add up when you look at the impact a pass rusher has on the entire defense. They make the entire secondary better. You can win with QB pressure combined with a sub-par secondary. But you cannot win with no QB pressure no matter how good your secondary is…

Relying on the draft to find a rusher is gambling, nothing less. I’d rather pay the money to a guy who has proven he can terrorize QB’s than any prospect no matter how highly regarded. We all should have learned this from the Gholston debacle.

The only question here is whether Rex will adjust his philosophy and acknowledge that we need to hit the QB, not collect big name corners like trophies while other teams are raping us through the air by simply avoiding them and throwing to the TE’s.

by nationalist88 on Jan 26, 2012 1:16 PM EST up reply actions

LOL!!!

That’s definitely true (about the Jets being gone long ago) sadly.

With all things being equal, I agree with you that it’s not too much invested in one player. Listen, perhaps more than anyone else on this board over the last year, I have been decrying the lack of a pass rush and saying the Jets need to go out and do what it takes to upgrade it. I wanted them to sign a FA like Manny Lawson last year AND draft Brooks Reed or another prospect in last year’s draft. I would absolutely LOVE it if the Jets could sign a proven pass rusher like Williams. It WOULD have a HUGE impact on the D. The problem is that all things aren’t equal in this situation, imo.

To begin with, the Jets are fairly hamstrung when it comes to the cap for a number of reasons. Tanny foolishly kept Holmes over Edwards, over paid him, and then guaranteed his salary this year. In order to get extra cap room with which to chase Nnamdi last year, he guaranteed Bart Scott’s and Pace’s salaries. Scott, Pace, Revis, Cromartie, Holmes, and Sanchez all have huge cap figures due to Tanny’s maneuverings. Teams can only have so many of those guys. I think all will probably be with the team next year, or the Jets will be forced to keep them or lose other of their own FAs as they probably would be tight up against the cap again next season. If the Jets could cut Holmes and Cromartie and not take a huge dead money hit on the cap, but actually clear cap space, I’d be ALL IN on getting Williams regardless of the cost. They can’t do that however, and there just aren’t enough players that can be cut or enough contracts that can be restructured without hamstringing the Jets on future salary caps.

IMO you just have to be realistic about what is the best way to most improve your team. One also has to thing both long and short term. IMO the Jets aren’t one player or pass rusher away from seriously competing for the SB again. As we all know, they have major holes at RT and S, and some would say also at QB and RB. Adding Williams is a short-term move. It is thinking that the Jets could immediately be back in the hunt next season, and I don’t think that’s realistic.

Adding Williams would in all likelihood preclude the Jets signing a veteran backup QB, a S or a RT and would probably mean that Pouha would have to go. They’d have to get very lucky in the draft and hope the rookie RT would start and be an upgrade over Hunter. If not, it wouldn’t make much difference how effective Williams was, the offense still wouldn’t be able to stay on the field, move the ball and score points. They’d be stuck with the QBs they have or have to use a draft pick on one, and keep the Safeties they have. Now an improved pass rush will make the S play better and seem like less of a need, but opposing teams would still hurt the Jets over the middle with TEs and RBs when Williams didn’t get there in time.

One has to also look at how one can best upgrade the different positions of need while keeping the cap in mind. IMO safety is a position where rookies are very vulnerable. IMO it is better for the Jets to address the S position by signing a FA vet and drafting a prospect to develop. The vet can more quickly and easily adapt to Rex’s system, he already is used to the speed of the game in the NFL and knows opposing offenses and receivers.

Similarly, I think to give Sanchez any kind of chance, the Jets have to upgrade Hunter with a veteran RT. They should also draft a RT. Rookies can start and succeed at RT easier than they can at S, but it is still no sure thing. By signing a solid veteran it helps Sparano get his offense going immediately and allows the rookie to develop without all the pressure.

The could probably sign both a S and a RT and maybe another player for less than they’d have to pay Williams.

This is a strong draft for OLB prospects. While the draft is a crapshoot and there are no guarantees, I think the odds of the Jets finding an excellent starting quality OLB in this draft are better than their finding an excellent starting quality S or RT. Also, if the Jets double dip at OLB they will increase their chances of finding someone who can pressure opposing QBs. Pace is solid vs the run and Westermann’s pretty decent at that as well. With Maybin and/or a rookie or two as designated pass rushers on passing downs, the pass rush may not be as fierce as with Williams, but improve enough that with the addition of more solid safety play and an improved OL that can sustain drives and stay on the field, and by keeping the DL intact the team can be better overall than by just signing Williams.

by joeklecko on Jan 26, 2012 2:47 PM EST up reply actions

According to ESPN

the Texans have declined using the franchise tag on Mario Williams. He will become an unrestricted FA in March. The Texans are about $20 million over the cap and tagging Williams would likely cost them over $20 million (he made over $18 million being franchised last year). Here’s a link to an article on ProFootballWeekly discussing the topic:

The Texans did well without him, and while they claim he’s their number one priority in resigning, it may just not be realistic. Looking at the production of some of their other defensive players, he may actually be more replaceable than an Arian Foster or Vonta Leach. Yeah, I wish we had that problem!

He’ll probably command $10 million + per year, so whether the Jets can afford to sign him is another matter entirely. If they do, though, I fully support double – dipping and pursuing Upshaw or Mercilus in the first round. The problem there is that we would essentially have to hit the draft jackpot on a S and RT as our FA signing ability would be nearly nonexistent.

by Jabualj on Jan 26, 2012 2:30 AM EST up reply actions

Nice post

I believe if anyone can work the cap, its Tanny. If the Jets really want this guy, they will find a way.

Should you choose to test my resolve in this matter, you will be facing a finality beyond your comprehension, and you will not be counting days, or months, or years, but milleniums in a place with no doors.

by YankeesJets on Jan 26, 2012 3:33 AM EST up reply actions

if i'm williams coming to the jets then i would want calvin pace and bart scott salary combined

if they are making 15m combined then that’s what i would want .
williams will get a bigger contract than haynsworth or peppers got . the fact he can play 4-3 DE and 3-4 olb will hike his price even higher and would be a potential signing for every team in the NFL .
i don’t want another off season where a player uses us to hike their price up and then decide to sign elsewhere ala Nnamdi . we wasted 1 offseason chasing a top player we couldn’t afford and missed out on guys we could afford because of it . if this happens again we will struggle again next year

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by tinley24 on Jan 26, 2012 6:53 AM EST up reply actions

agreed, he is not gonna be allowed to leave

by jjnewoc on Jan 26, 2012 8:11 AM EST up reply actions

He just might

They might let him walk becuase Connor Barwin and Brooks Reed were so productive in his absence. And they have to fork over a huge contract to Arian Foster pretty soon. And they have two offensive linemen that are FA. So Williams could end being expendable.

by RevisIsland&Alcrotraz on Jan 26, 2012 8:20 AM EST reply actions

Foster is a RFA next year

They could tag him at the highest tender and keep him for cheap.

- Attempting to debate with a person who has abandoned reason is like giving medicine to the dead.
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Contributing Writer to the The Phinsider

by Finhead83 on Jan 26, 2012 9:57 AM EST up reply actions

I would love Mario but he's going to command huge dollars

With pass rush at a premium, do you really want to blow our whole wad on Williams when other teams with more cap space are going to also throw big money at him? Hali/Suggs/Woodley never hit the open market, maybe Mario’s injury drops his price a bit but he’s still young and a horse, so I doubt it drops a lot. Obviously you kick the tires but I’m not going to get my hopes up then try to rely on the draft to fill every other hole because we blew a huge load on a big name. I think we’d be better off going bargain shopping for solid fits for the system and let the draft fall to us than go spend it all on Mario and hope Tanny can bat .600 in the draft on guys who can play right away.

by J-Nasty on Jan 26, 2012 9:35 AM EST via mobile reply actions

+1

I’d love to have Mario, but there are going to be desperate teams with more money to throw at him out there. The Jets have too many needs this offseason and can’t risk everything on the draft producing multiple quality starters. The key word here is “quality” – getting another Hunter or Smith at a lower price/younger age is pointless. We need to examine free agents at multiple positions, and signing Williams would almost completely rule this out. There’s nothing wrong would drafting a project at say RT or either S position if you can bring in a veteran starter to fill in for a season or two. Again, signing Williams eliminates any chance the Jet’s have of not having to rely almost solely on draft picks to fill wholes.

by Jabualj on Jan 26, 2012 1:47 PM EST up reply actions

It's a money issue

Don’t have the cash, and I don’t want to work our roster around him.

Arm chair GM. Mod/contributing writer at SBN Jets blog GGN.
GangGreenNation.com

by Bro Namath on Jan 27, 2012 2:57 PM EST reply actions

Another one for the "Wish List"

Yes he’d look mighty fine in Green & White smashing Pats, Steelers, Ravens and whoever else got the hell in his way. But as JoeKlecko has nicely summarized he is strictly Wish List material for Jets fans. We will need to find our diamond in the draft and use more forsight in the future about guaranteeing veteran’s contracts. The foolishness in the FA summer of 2011 has come to haunt here in the winter of 2012. No one in the FO was looking ahead and thinking “What if?” Hopefully they’ll be smarter….next time.

"It's only through change we learn to grow".

by Canadian Jet on Jan 28, 2012 4:21 AM EST reply actions